How to Live Well in 2023 and Beyond

As a new year approaches, many people take time to evaluate their health and commit to making changes. While we tend to focus primarily on diet and exercise, which are both important, wellness encompasses much more. If you are trying to set goals for living well in 2023 and beyond, we have a few tips you might find useful.

Target Wellness: Nurturing the Body, Mind, and Spirit

• Stay social: When it comes to wellness, researchers say it’s important to socialize beyond just your close circle of friends and family. Experts believe when you broaden your social network, you are less likely to be too sedentary. For example, you might go out to attend events and activities versus inviting a loved one over to watch a few movies.
• Think lifestyle, not “diet”: Changing your mindset about what you eat can make a big difference. Instead of thinking you need to follow a particular diet or food trend, consider any dietary changes you need to make as a shift in lifestyle. In the Blue Zones around the world where people tend to live the longest, for example, residents consume largely whole foods. That means eating mostly vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains.
• Keep moving: Sitting too much is another behavior that can limit longevity. Instead of spending hours in a row watching television or reading, get up and move around every hour. Being too sedentary contributes to a host of medical conditions, ranging from depression to obesity and high blood pressure.
• Get regular exercise: Most of us know that physical fitness activities are key to aging well. The general guideline is to combine aerobic exercise with stretching and light weight or resistance training. For example, take a 30-minute walk one day, and then spend 15 minutes doing chair yoga and 15 minutes working out with resistance bands the next day. If you haven’t exercised in a while, talk with your primary care physician for more advice before getting started.
• Manage stress: Chronic stress is tied to increased inflammation throughout the body. That, in turn, is linked to higher rates of health problems such as heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and diabetes. Learning how to manage stress in healthy ways is important. A few suggestions include journaling, meditation, Pilates, swimming, and deep breathing.
• Practice brain aerobics: Just as your body needs a workout to stay fit, so does your brain. Activities that can help protect cognitive health can include learning to play a musical instrument, tackling a new language, playing games with friends, or working puzzles. The idea is to avoid following the same routine every day.
• See your doctor regularly: Having a good relationship with a physician you trust is another essential. You’ll be more likely to stay on track with health screenings and yearly physical exams. If you don’t feel as if your doctor listens and takes your concerns seriously, it might be time to ask friends and family for recommendations.
• Have a yearly vision screening: Protecting your eyesight is vital at every age. One way to do that is to see the eye doctor as least once a year, more often if your physician recommends it. Doing so helps catch and treat small issues before they become big problems. Why Seniors Need Yearly Eye Exams is a good article to review to learn more.
• Volunteer your time: Older adults who volunteer their time and talent to a nonprofit organization they believe in tend to enjoy longer, healthier lives. Research shows that dedicating two or three hours a week to volunteer work is ideal for promoting wellness.
• Get good quality sleep: Many people suffer from insomnia and other sleep issues. Most see it as a nuisance rather than the serious health issue it can be. Lack of sleep is believed to contribute to dementia, cardiac disease, obesity, depression, and more. If you are struggling to get 7–8 hours a night of quality sleep, talk with your doctor. There might be an underlying medical condition.

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